Bobbin-catch for shuttles.



G. M. CHENEY. BOBBIN CATCH FOB SHUTTLES.

APPLlcATloN m50 ocT.2a.1915r Patented July 31, 191,7.

' lnvenTo r; George MCheney Ayus,

ll STAES EARN FFICE.

GEORGE IVI. CHENEY, OF SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LITCHFIELD SHUTTLE COMPANY, 0F SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION. OF

MASSACHUSETTS.

BOBBIN-CATCH FOR SHUTTLES.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. CHENEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Southbridge, county of IVorcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Bobbin-Catches for Shuttles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in loom shuttles which are provided with a bobbin supporting spindle. In such shuttles the spindles are usually pivotally mounted in the end of the shuttle body and are provided with spring controlled mechanism whereby the spindle is held normally substantially axially of the shuttle body, means being provided to permit the spindle to be tilted so that an exhausted bobbin may be removed andreplaced with a fresh bobbin.

In shuttles of this character the bobbin is usually held upon the spindle by a bobbin catch which is either fixed to the head of the shuttle or carried by the pivoted spin dle and which is provided with an upturned end or flange adapted to engage a single ring upon the base of the bobbin. n

This flange is relatively narrow in ywidth and usually tapered in thickness to present a narrow edge for engaging the ring. The repeated shocks given to the bobbin during the operation ofthe loom in time loosens the ring which is engaged by the catch so that the bobbin is rendered useless and is thrown away.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a means which will engage a plurality, preferably all of the bobbin rings through a greater circumferential area than has heretofore been accomplished and which will embrace tightly the rings so as to prevent any longitudinal movement of the bobbin upon the spindle or hammering upon the bobbin rings. This is accomplished in the preferred form of the invention illustrated herein by providing a locking member or catch having a series of grooves adapted to fit closely the rings upon the bobbin and thus providing means for engaging a considerably larger segment of Y the rings than has heretofore been engaged Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

ThisV application filed October 23,

by a bobbin catch having a single ring engaging flange, the bobbin catch also being so constructed that the walls of the grooves engage substantially one half the thickness of the rings.

By thus forming the bobbincatch a relatively thin sheet of metal may be used and in order to strengthen the metal where the same is thinned out by the grooves marginal laterally bent flanges are provided which extend across the ends of the grooves, thus providing a strong structure which may not easily be broken by careless handling or by the shock of the shuttle actuating mechanism. Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following de scription and accompanying drawings, and will be particularly pointed out in the annexed claims. V

In the drawings the invention is illustrated as applied'to two specific forms of shuttle, in which,

Figure l is a preferred sectional view of a shuttle embodying my invention in which the locking member orbobbin catch is carriediby the spindle showing the bobbin. in operative position in the shuttle,

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the catch showing the manner of its engagement with the rings of a bobbin,

Fig.A 3 is a plan view of the bobbincatch shown in Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is a partial vertical sectional view of a different forni of shuttle having a stationary locking member or bobbin catch' and showing the bobbin in operative position in the shuttle, and,

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the stationary bobbin catch illustrated in Fig. 4.

This invention comprises general improvements in bobbin catches which are adapted to any form of spindle shuttle and two forms of shuttle with the improved bobbin catch are shown in the drawing as illustrative of the catch and the meansA by which it may be appliedto dilierent forms of shuttles.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a usual form of spindle shuttle comprising a shuttle body l with a spindle 2 provided with a head 3 mounted upon the pivot e extending across the shuttle body. An extension 5 of the Y head having a flat upper tace and a curved face 7 engages a knuckle S having a stem 9 entering a helical spring 1G which is seated in the chamber 11 of the end portion et the shuttle.

When the spindle 2 is in operative position as illustrated herein the knuckle S bears against the curved face 7 and serves to hold the spindle in horizontal position. rihe curved tacehowever provides means whereby the spindle may be moved about its pivot e until the knuckle 8 engages over the edge of the tace 7 and when in this position the spindle will be held in an inclined position relatively to the shuttle to permit the removal and replacement of the bobbin.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1 the head 3 isprovided with a vertical aperture in which a stem 12 is slidably mounted, the stem carrying at its lower end the bobbin locking member or catch 13. The upper end of the stem 12 is provided with an enlarged head and a spring interposed between the head ot the stem and the spindle serves normally to hold the catch 13 in bobbin engaging position. rlhe bobbin catch 13 is provided with the usual upwardly bent portion which engaO'es a guiding surface upon the downward projection 17 of the spindle head 3 which maintains the catch in substantial parallelism with the axis of the spindle as it is moved toward and from the spindle.

The usual form of bobbin catch comprises a flat metallic member having a flange turned upwardly at its end to engage a recess in the base ot the bobbin or one of a series oi bobbin rings and this flange engages but a small segment of the bobbin base or of the bobbin ring.

Furthermore the flange is usually made tangential to the base of the bobbin or at most slightly curved so that it engages but a small segment of the bobbin ring directly beneath the axis et the spindle and only a relatively small portion ot its thickness throughout the greater portion of its contact with the ring so that the bobbin may be moved laterally upon the spindle it it does not tit tightly thereupon.

In addition there is moreor less play between the bobbin ring and the bobbin catch so that the bobbin7 which when wound with iilling is of a considerable weight, produces a hammering upon the ring `which soon strips it from the base of t-he bobbin. thus practically destroying the bobbin.

lnasmuch as bobbins having a plurality .of rings are in wide use in automatic looms and are a usual type of bobbin purchased by mills employing both automatic and hand threading shuttles it is desirable that a suitable catch be provided which will permit the use of these bobbins with the usual hand threading shuttles such as are illustrated herein. To that end this invention coniprises the production of a bobbin catch which is adapted to grasp rmly a plurality of bobbin rings throughout a considerable segment of their circumference, preferably engaging these segments throughout sulstantially one half the thickness of the ring.

rl`his is accomplished in the present invention by providing the catch 13 with a relatively wide portion 18 curved to conform through its major surface to the contour of the base ot the bobbin, the curved portion of the bobbin catch being provided with a series of grooves 19 preferably milled therein with a milling tool having the same 1adius as that of the bobbin rings and of the same thickness as the bobbin rings so that the grooves thus formed will fit tightly and embrace relatively large segments ot the bobbin ring throughout substantially one halt their thickness, the grooves of course are spaced apart to conform to the distance between the bobbin rings so Vthat each ring will enter and be embraced by the walls of a groove. By providing a grooved member or' this character the ribs 20 between the grooves substantially fill the space between the rings and the sharp edges of the grooves bite upon the rings in such a manner as to prevent any possibility of movement of the bobbin upon the spindle.

Furthermore the curved portion of the bobbin catch by thus embracing a relatively large segment of the bobbin ring prevents any lateral movement of the bobbin so that it is retained in proper position in the shuttle and its nose prevented from vibrating in any direction, thus insuring lthe proper running or the thread and avoiding the breakages which might otherwise occur by the snapping of the nose of a loose bobbin against the running thread.

lt has been found in practice that when a curved bobbin catch of the character above described has been milled to conform to the base of the bobbin the shockupon the bobbin caused by the shuttle actuating mechanism will sometimes snap the catch eti at one of the weakened lines along the groove and to prevent this the end 18 ot the catch is preferably provided with one or more strengthening members preferably in the form of marginal flanges 21 extending beyond the ends ot the grooves and bent sharply into substantially horizontal planes. By providing flanges of this character thinner stock may be used than could otherwise be employed.

ln the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 the bobbin catch is moved toward and from bobbin gripping positions in the usual manner. that is, in order to remove the bobbin trom the spindle the spindle is rotated about its pivot until the hea d of the stem 12 strikes against a. shoulder or staple i3 in the upper Cil portion of the end of the shuttle body, whereupon the knuckle S Will pass around the edge of the extension 7 and retain the spindle in tilted position. By reason of the fact that the spring 10 is of greater strength than the spring l5 the stem l2 Will be forced downwardly to move the bobbin catch out of bobbin gripping position. The bobbin may then be removed and replaced by a new one, when the spindle Will be depressed until the knuckle 8 rides over the edge of the extension 5 of the grooved face T whereby the bobbin will be snapped by the pressure of the spring lO into the normal position shown in Fig. l, the spring l5 in the meantime acting to clamp the bobbin catch firmly upon the base of the bobbin.

In Figs. 4L and 5 another form of shuttle is illustrated which comprises a shuttle body Q5 having a spindle 26 therein pivotally mounted upon a transverse stud 27, the spindle having a head 2S provided With a curved face i9, and a flat face 30 adapted to be engaged by a suitable spring 3i secured in the end 33 of the bobbin by a screw 32 or in any other suitable manner. In this embodiment of the invention the bobbin catch is anchored firmly in the end portion 33 of the shuttle and comprises a stem 34 preierably having an enlarged portion 35 having a central aperture to receive a screw 35 passing into the head 33.

The bobbin catch is provided with a curved end portion 36 of the character above described adapted to conform to the contour of the base of the bobbin and having grooves 37 milled therein to embrace relatively Wide segments of a plurality of bobbin rings throughout substantially one half their thickness. This bobbin catch also is preferably provided with marginal flanges 38 extending across the ends of the grooves, thereby strengthening the same in the manner aforesaid.

It is to be understood that the forms of shuttles disclosed herein with the novel form of bobbin catch embodied therein are illustrative merely of certain types of shuttle to which this bobbin catch may be applied but that this disclosure is not restrictive and that the catch is adapted to be applied to any form of spindle shuttle with such modilications as are clearly Within the scope o the skilled mechanic. The following claims are therefore contemplated to cover the application of this novel bobbin catch to any suitable form of shuttle.

Having thus described my invention, What l claim as neiv and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a shuttle comprising a body and a spindle pivotally mounted therein to swing into and out of operative position, bobbinlocking mechanism adapted to engage a plurality or' bobbin rings and means for retaining said locking means in engagement with thc bobbin rings when the bobbin is in operative position in the shuttle.

:2. In a shuttle comprising a body and a spindle pivotally mounted therein to swing into and out of operative position, bobbinlccking mechanism adapted to embrace tightly segments of a plurality of bobbin rings, means for Yretaining said locking means in engagement with the bobbin rings when the bobbin is in operative position in the shuttle and means for disengaging said looking mechanism from said rings when the spindle is moved out oi' operative position.

In a shuttle comprising a body and a spindle pivotally mounted therein to swing into and out of operative position, bobbinlocking means grooved to fit and presenting sharp edges adapted to engage a plurality of bobbin rings, means -for retaining said locking means in engagement With the bobbin rings when the bobbin is in operative position in the shuttle and means for simultaneously disengaging said locking mechanism from all of said rings when the spindle is moved out of operative position.

Ll. In a shuttle comprising a body and a spindle pivotally mounted thereon to swing into and o-ut of operative position, a bobbinlocking member disposed in parallel relation to the axis of the spindle and provided with grooves having sharp edged Walls to engage all of a series of bobbin rings and means adapted to move said locking member bodily away from said spindle when the spindle is moved out of operative position.

5. In a shuttle comprising a body, a spindle having ahead pivotally mounted therein, a yieldable means adapted to retain said spindle either in operative position in the shuttle or in inoperative position to permit the removal and replacement of the bobbin, a bobbin-locking member disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the spindle grooved to embrace and fit a plurality ot bobbin rings, guiding means for said locking member including a pin extending from said locking member' through an aperture in the head of said spindle and a spring surrounding said pin normally tending to torce the locking member into engagement with the bobbin rings.

6. In a shuttle comprising a body, a spindle having a head pivotally mounted therein, a. yieldable means adapted to retain said spindle either in operative position in the shuttle or in inoperative position to permit the removal and replacement of the bobbin, a bobbin-locking member disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the spindle having means to engage a. plurality of bobbin rings, guiding means for said locking member comprising a pin extending from said locking member' through an aperture in the head of said spindle and a spring surrounding said pin normally tending to force the locking member into engagement with the bobbin rings, and means adapted to engage the head of said pin when the spindle raised into inoperative position and serving to force the locking meml er out or engagement with the bobbin rings.

7. ln a shuttle having a body, and a spindle pirotally mounted therein to swing into and out of operative position, a bobbin catch comprising a plate having a shank and a relatively Wide end portion curved to conform to the contour ot' the base of the bobbin and provided with a plurality of grooves adapted to embrace and to lit segments of a plurality of bobbin rings whereby the bobbin will be locked against movement upon the spindle and having strengthening means extending throughout the ring engaging portion to prevent breakage of the catch.

8. Iny ai shuttle having a body, and a spindle pivotally mounted therein to swing into and out ot operative position, a bobbin catch comprising a plate haring a shank and ay relatively wide end portion curved to conform to the contour of the base of the bobbin and provided with a plurality of grooves adapted to embrace and to Jtit segments or' a plurality of bobbin rings Whereby the bobbin will be locked against inovenient upon the spindle, and having laterally extending integral marginal flanges extending across the end or' the grooyed portion.

.9. A bobbin catch for shuttles comprising a shank portion and a relatively Wide bobbin engaging vportion curved to conform to the contour of a bobbin and having a plurality of grooves adapted to embrace and lit closely segments or' the rings upon the base of the bobbin throughout substantially half their thickness and strengthening means for the bobbin engaging end of the catch.

l0. A bobbin catch for shuttles comprising a shank portion and a relatively Wide bobbin engaging portion curved to conform to the contour of a bobbin and having a plurality oi' grooves milled therein t0 engage and tightly embrace segments of a plurality of bobbin rings throughout substantially half of their thickness and laterally bent marginal strengthening flanges extending across the ends of the grooyed portion of the catch.

ln testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this speciiication.

GEORGE M. CHENEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

